Folding bedstead.



PATENTED NOV. 15, 1904.

A. ALLENDY.

FOLDING BEDSTEAD.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

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FOLDING BEDSTEAD.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATBNTED NOV. 15, 1904.

A. ALLENDY. FOLDING BEDSTEAD.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 NO MODEL.

702242 6m; 61, Eva/4 fa/ ,jwza/zd Z671! 5 PATENTED NOV. 15, 1904.

A. ALLENDY.

FOLDING BEDSTEAD.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

NO MODEL.

Patented November 15, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

ARMAND ALLENDY, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

FOLDING BEDSTEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 7 5,121 ,dated November 15, 1904.

Application filed January 15, 1904. Serial No. 189,206. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARMAND ALLENDY, architect, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at Paris, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Bedsteads, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its principal object to provide a comfortable folding bedstead which occupies but little room when folded up and which is folded and unfolded rapidly and with ease by very simple mechanism;

The invention can also be applied to other articles susceptible of being unfolded for use and folded up when out of use.

1 will describe my invention as applied to a folding bedstead, from which its general application will also be understood.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a folding bedstead unfolded. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the bedstead after the first operation of folding. Fig. 3 shows the bedstead completely folded. Fig. 4 shows the mechanism according to this invention applied to a billiardtable.

The bedstead according to my invention comprises a mattress or bed bottom a, resting at each end on supports 5 c, which I will call the head and foot supports. These supports are respectively rigidly attached to or form part of a headboard and a footboard or end pieces of any suitable kind or to posts connected by bars.

The mattress is connected to the head and foot supports by levers (Z 6, jointed at one end to the mattress and at the other end to the head-support and the foot-support, respectively.

The mattress is preferably fitted with springs only at its middle part a, the upper part of its two ends being strapped, upholstered, or covered with wire-gauze. The spaces inclosed by the said ends may constitute boxes for storing bolsters, pillows, quilts, and the like. For this purpose the end f, which is the top part after folding, may form a box open at the top, and when the bed is folded the other box will be formed by the lower end g of the mattress with the support 6.

The foot-supports c are provided with cheeks /L, the edges 2 of which having a peculiar curve act as brakes and guides for rollers j, attached to the sides of the mattress. The points 2), at which the levers (Z, extending from the head-supports, are connected to the mattress, should be situated a little beyond a vertical line passing through the center of gravity of the mattress. The lovers 6, at the opposite sides of the bedstead and extending from the foot-supports, are each connected to the mattress at a point on, which relatively to the foot end of the mattress is at the farthest possible distance beyond the vertical line passing through the center of gravity of the mattress and in a horizontal plane above that in which lies the point l: of attachment of the other le vers to the mattress.

The points L m at which the levers are connected with the mattress may, however, lie in the same vertical or horizontal line. The lower end of each of the levers c at the foot end is beveled. The levers (Z c are all cranked in two directions to enable the folding operations to be effected and at the same time insure rigidity. The levers (Z at the head end and the levers e at the foot end are connected together by means of rigid stays, and the headend and foot-end levers that are on the same side of the bedstead are connected together by flexible means, such as link chains or cables, which may be done as follows:

At each side a cable a is attached at one end, 22. to the foot-end lever c and at the other end, a, to the head-end lever (Z. To this cable is attached a second cable 0, the point of attachment being capable of sliding along the firstnamed cable a. The other end of the second cable 0 is attached to the foot-end lever at a point p a little inward of the point of attachment of the said lever to the mattress.

A pulley is mounted on the pin Zr, by which the head-end lever is pivoted to the mattress, and another pulley, q, is mounted at the end of the said lever outward of its point of attachment to the mattress. These pulleys act as guides to the said second cable during folding and unfolding.

To fold the bedstead, the operation is as follows: After the paillasse 0 has been strapped to the mattress at the end thereof which will be at the top when folded the top of the bedstead foot end 0 is pulled slightly, so that rollers j on each side of the foot end of the mattress leave their resting-places on the cheek-pieces on the foot-supports, the cables being taut and the mattress balanced on the pivots 7s m, by which it is connected to the levers, the said mattress having been previously properly balanced, if necessary, by means of a counterweight. The upper part of the bedstead head is then pulled toward the operator and then the said head is pushed forward toward the foot-support, while at the same time the head end f of the mattress is raised. The foot end 9 of the mattress moves downward, the aforesaid rollers j running on the curved edges of the cheeks on the foot-support and the whole of the bed comes into an inclined position, Fig. 2, this movement being effected almost automatically, or at least without any great exertion, owing to the balancing of the mattress and the tension of the flexible cables. The mattress now oscillates round a point comprised between the points k m of attachment of the levers to the mattress, and consequently very near the center of gravity, while the combined action of the cables at and 0 tends to bring nearer together the head and foot end levers d and e, and consequently to raise the center of gravity. During this movement the beveled ends of the foot-end levers e bear on the floor and render the bedstead stationary as far as regards the lower end of the mattress and the foot-supports. The bedstead being in the position shown, Fig. 2, it will suflice in order to completely fold it to exert a slight pressure on the upper end f of the mattress and then on the bedstead-head Z), whereby the closing of the levers (Z 0 is completed and the bedstead is then in the vertical position, Fig. 3.

It is only during the first part of the folding operation that the cables exert their action, and it is then that the greatest exertion is required; but during the second part of the folding operation, although the effort to be exerted is very small, it is necessary that the cables should be kept taut to the end of the movement, so as to facilitate the unfolding operation.

In unfolding the bed inverse movements take place. By first pulling the head end I) of the bedstead the flexible cables, which have kept taut owing to the pulley g on the outer end of the head-end lever acting as a brake until the mattress has assumed again the inclined position, Fig. 2. The mattress cannot alone complete its tilting movement because the rollers on the mattress end are in the lower part of the curved paths a on the cheeks of the footsupport; but on the operator pulling the top of the mattress sharply toward him the said rollers bring the foot-supports 0 into the vertical position and the cables are acted on by the weight of the mattress thus freed and enable it to automatically descend into the horizontal position, the lower end 9 of the mattress bearing constantly by means of its rollers j on the curved paths 2' of the cheekpieces of the foot-support, the shape of which curved paths prevents the operation taking place too quickly. The top of the foot-supports is then pushed against the foot end g of the mattress, and the rollers j, carried on that end, come to rest in the upper notches in the cheek-pieces, and the mattress is thus retained on its supports 72 and 0, While the cables remain slack.

Rollers fixed at the bottom of the head and foot supports enable the bedstead to be readily moved and transported Whether folded or unfolded.

It is obvious that without departing from the nature of this invention the hereinbeforedescribed arrangement may be slightly modified, so as to be applicable to beds standing in the middle of a room, or to beds standing in a corner, or to side beds and the like, and that what I have described as the head end may be the foot end, and vice versa.

By suitably shaping and proportioning the levers d and ethe same mechanism can be applied to a table*such, for example, as a billiard-table, Fig. 4.

Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in .what manner the same may be performed, I declare that what I claim is- 1. In a folding device, a shiftable support with two centers, an end support, two levers united to one of the centers of the shiftable support and to the end support, an opposite end support, two levers joined to the remaining center and to the said opposite end support, flexible cables connected to the levers, and means carried by one of the said levers for keeping taut the cables and to facilitate the folding and unfolding of the device.

2. In a folding bedstead, a spring-mattress with two centers mic a foot-support it two levers e united to the center on and to the footsupport it, a head-support 6 two levers d joined to the center it and to the head-support 5, flexible cables n and 0 connected to the levers (Z and e and means carried by one of the levers for keeping taut the said cables or and 0 to facilitate the folding and unfolding of the bedstead.

3. In a folding bedstead, the combination with ahead and foot board provided with projections on which the mattress-support rests, guides leading from one of the projections to guide the mattress-support when being folded, levers extending from the lower portion of the headboard to approximately the longitudinal middle of said mattress-support, levers extending from the lower portion of the foot- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of tWo subscribing \v1t nesses.

ARMAND ALLENDY.

\Vitnesses:

HANSON (J. (JOKE, PAUL BLUM. 

